Hollywood Nocturne
by BronyBraeburn
Summary: Jack wants a vacation from his demanding quest, but his past won't leave him alone.


_Author's Note: I found this old fanfic of mine on a website and decided to upload it here. I wrote this in August 2004. The featured song is Hollywood Nocturne by the Brian Setzer Orchestra_. _Everything belongs to their respective owners._

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><p>Once again the famous gangster walked the dirty Chicago streets. Where even Al Capone had taken years to build his reputation as the city's greatest mobster, this man needed only one glorious robbery to make his place in the city's history. In less than a week he had come and gone, but his short legacy was revered by men in pinstripe suits, and feared by boys in blue.<p>

_There's a place where you can go  
>Music's hot and lights are low<br>But there's something you should know  
>Before the night is through<em>

Chicago had once again called to this man, and he came in on the first train he could book. The speakeasies, the loose women, the love of Tommy guns, the jazz... it struck a lonesome chord deep within his pure heart. Dropping his robe of white for a suit of black, the pronounced sound of geta now silenced dress shoes, a primitive straw hat exchanged for a felt fedora, a dark side of our man had emerged.

_'Neath the buzzing neon sign  
>Dressed in style so cool and refined<br>Stands a man from some other time  
>Who's calling out to you<br>_  
>Samurai Jack stood under a street lamp as he watched the passerbys beneath the low brow of his hat. But this is Chicago, where he is better known as Jackie the Blade, as we shall call him for as long as he remains in the city. His quest in the outside world seemed futile as Aku always cowardly ran from battle, and every time portal was cursed to forever elude him. But the city knew his troubles, and once he entered even the most remote street and donned his suit of black, the frustration lifted, and he felt free of all ties to his never-ending quest.<p>

_There in the night that has heard a thousand voices  
>Whispered a thousand names<br>Sang out a thousand love songs  
>He lives his Hollywood nocturne<br>His Hollywood nocturne_

He lifted his head to answer the stare that plagued him for ten minutes, but lost his nerve as his eyes met with that of a smirking face and dancing dark eyes, pleased with what they see.

"Good evening, Jack." A sultry accented voice reached his ears on a whispering wind.

He knows that voice, that face, no matter how long ago they last met. Questions of how she got here, how she managed to live for centuries, how she knew where he was, and most importantly, how she knew that name, did not matter. All he knew and cared that his childhood love had returned to him, and he was no longer alone in his journey.

She too donned the attire of Chicago: a short, black flapper skirt that showed off a beautiful body that Jack couldn't keep his eyes off of. She smiled at his approval and walked over to him, her hair flowing behind her in a soft wind. He stood there, mesmerized by her seductive beauty. "I missed you so much, Keiko." He whispered as she embraced him.

"I missed you, Jack." She said softly, beaming up at his beautiful face.

A fast jazz song appeared from nowhere, caressing the ear of our young couple. He smiled gently and bowed, offering her his hand as an invitation to dance. Keiko laughed at his innocent face and eagerness, and took his hand with a smile. He wrapped an arm around her waist as she delicately laid a hand on his shoulder. Their hands clasped in desperate need of each others reassuring touch.

Moving in time with the ghostly musical strains, they moved all around the empty street. Dips, tucks, twirls, they covered much ground with their frenzied dance; a sexual fever consumed them, love and joy radiated from them both. Keiko's smile burned its mark on his heart, her eyes alive with laughter and love; he could no longer ignore the wish deep within his heart. He cupped her face within his hands and smiled gently at her surprised look, his eyes fully concentrated on her lips, needing to taste them. He leaned in close, hesitant and yet throwing himself, desperate for even a light brush of skin against skin...

He leaned forward, only to meet with air. Nearly falling over, he caught his step, and stood straight, eyes darting across the empty street. The music had stopped, and only the wind rustling his clothes broke the silence of the streets. Footsteps covered the streets, but as Jack leaned down to examine them, there was only one pair of footprints: his own. "She was just a shadow of my own heart," Jackie sighed in defeat. "Oh Keiko..."

_There's a place he'd like to go  
>Where it's cool and lights are low<br>But the shadows won't let go  
>They dance and call his name<em>

He kicked at a pebble, watching it skip across the concrete sidewalks. He strolled down the street with his hands in his pockets, a sigh never far from his lips.

"Jackie."

His eyes shot up from the sidewalk to straight ahead, where a transparent ghostly form of Keiko flowed out of sight in the wind.

He shook his head and turned to the right, but the sound of dancing soles clapped against the concrete. He turned his head towards the sound, but again it was only a shadow of the night come to toy with his heart. His heart panged to physically be with her, actually tell her how much he loved her, but she was dead for thousands of years while he fought in Aku's forsaken future.

_As he roams the streets at night  
>Haunted by this devil sight<br>There's a man in dark red light  
>Who's calling out to you<em>

No matter the hour, no matter what street we walked, club he sat in, streetlight he stood under, she was always with him. Always teasing him with a sultry glance, a kiss blown on a cheek, a gentle smile, a wave of her hair, Jack desperately wanted to pounce on her and let his feelings for her run wild, no matter what the consequence.

As a clock chimed the hour, Jack knew it to be an endless night; for it was only midnight but should you have asked him, it was almost dawn. Keiko appeared before him at every stroke of the clock, but there was something wrong. Something very wrong.

A red mist surrounded her, but with each bong, the red expanded around her and grew darker in color. By the sixth bong, shapeless black fingers came too close to her shapely form. Jackie drew his tucked-away sword, for by the ninth chime of the bell, Aku's black claws met across Keiko's fair stomach, and the distinct flaming eyebrows on top of the devil's face appeared on her shoulder, desperate fear in her eyes where laughter and love had once overflowed.

"Harutomo, help me!"

Her words resounded within his sharp ears as he ran towards the ghostly apparition with a battle cry, the mystical sword of his father held high above her head. The transparent form of Aku ran with a snarl, leaving Keiko free of harm. He breathed heavily as his sword pointed toward the concrete of the street; a hard and determined look in his eye dared the demon phantom to come near her so he would have reason enough to kill him.

She hovered over to him and kissed his cheek, "Thank you, my love."

"Anything for you, Keiko, anything for you."

_There in the night that has heard a thousand voices  
>Whispered a thousand names<br>Sang out a thousand love songs  
>He lives his Hollywood nocturne<br>His Hollywood nocturne  
>His Hollywood nocturne<em>

He watched her disappear forever into the night, and somehow he knew this would be his last time to wander aimlessly in this city. "I must return to my quest and never give up hope that I will return to the past and see her once again." His voice grew soft as he looked to the sky, seeing a lone star shimmer brighter then the streetlamps. "I promise you, my Keiko."


End file.
